Philosopher, poet, sculptor and vigneron, Charles Joguet is a living legend in the Loire and for many years produced the finest wines in Chinon. French humanist and native son, François Rabelais, sang their praises as far back as the sixteenth century. Therefore it is fitting that the wry smile of Chinon`s most famous son, François Rabelais, should adorn his bottles.
The Joguets owned prime vineyard land in between the Loire and Vienne Rivers, with some of their finest found on the left bank of the Vienne, just outside Chinon, in Sazilly. These very lieux-dits had been recognized for their character and defined before the Renaissance—some even date back to the Middle Ages. Variations in the soils of these alluvial plains were substantial enough to realize that he was sitting on what would be considered in other regions as premier cru and grand cru vineyards. To sell the grapes off or to vinify these individualized plots together would have been madness. Separate terroirs, he believed, necessitate separate vinifications. Over the course of his tenure, Charles took the risks necessary to master the single-vineyard bottling with an artistry that A.O.C. Chinon had never before seen. In so doing, he realized the true potential of the land.
The wines are divided into two lines: precocious cuvées and those for long-aging. Precocious cuvées, like the “Cuvée Terroir” and “Les Petites Roches” (Little Rocks), are made to be consumed young. If premier crus were permitted in Chinon, Les Varennes du Grand Clos would certainly be considered one of them. Clos du Chêne Vert and Clos de la Dioterie are perhaps their greatest wines—certainly of grand cru quality—with excellent aging potential. Those who are convinced that the best Cabernet Franc grows in Bordeaux may quickly transfer their allegiance to the Loire upon tasting these classic, appellation-defining Chinons. The purity of fruit, the exceptional delineation of aromas and flavors, the soulful reflection of terroirs, and the extraordinary seductiveness of the texture make the wines from Joguet second to none.
Based on the left bank of the River Vienne in Sazily, Joguet was the first vigneron in the region to produce single vineyard cuvées. The top cuvée is the Clos de la Dioterie, which is the product of 80-year old Cabernet Franc vines and displays an intensity and concentration of fruit that is unrivalled in the region. Charles Joguet has now retired and this illustrious domaine is now in the capable hands of Alain Delauney and Michel Pinard.
